Practice guideline for evaluation of fever and infection in long-term care facilities: Extract

These guidelines are applicable to all facilities that have the capacity to diagnose, treat, and manage new medical problems, including fever. The objective is to help health care practitioners caring for older patients in long-term care facilities recognize infection and initiate appropriate evaluation and treatment in a timely fashion, thereby improving outcomes of care. The expectation is that employing these guidelines will reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics as well as decrease the cost of care. One other important objective is to stimulate interest in clinical research on the evaluation, treatment, and outcomes of infections in the long-term care setting by highlighting the many yet unstudied questions in this area.